What a Year…
December 31, 2006
Only 12 hours left of 2006 and what a year it’s been. Probably the most exciting of my life of the past 20. Out of the blue, when I was least expecting it, my life has changed.
January – I set aside my first novel, Decent Exposure, unsure what to do with it. No idea of if it will ever be published. In the meantime I write a real weepie romance that makes everyone who reads it, cry, and I get even lower. Am I deluding myself about this writing thing?
February – persuaded by a friend to send Decent Exposure to a top London literary agent. Regret doing so as soon as I’ve sent the email. How did I dare do such a thing?
March – receive email one afternoon. OMG. The literary agent loves my work and sends my book to Headline. EXTREME stress of waiting. Husband takes me and daughter shopping to Oxford to cheer us up as she is fed up and stressed doing final A level study at school. She needs three As and a B to get into Oxford. While we are there, I open book it random in Blackwells to find it has been edited by my *prospective editor*. Eeeeek! Is it a sign or a warning?
April – OMG. Headline buy the book for funky, sexy, super-cool Little Black Dress series. Yayyyyyyyyy!!!!!! I just, to quote Victor Meldrew, ‘don’t believe it’. tell everyone in world. Duckface and Flairy call me. C19 start huge thread. Rosy, Duckface and many others send cards and champagne. I finally realise that Gerard Butler is the hero of Decent Exposure, Will Tennant.
May – off to RNA party in London with (cough) ‘my agent’ and meet cyber-pals Nell and Jess . (Dress: black silk Jigsaw skirt and pink top). After dinne with C19 London posse and one of Richard Gere’s brekkies, I meet my new ed for the first time. She’s great fun, very encouraging and gives me loads of books to read. Leave Headline office in a daze and have to be taken to Starbucks, Euston for coffee and muffin. I go abseiling as research for revisions. My friends raise £150 for LAMRT. (Dress code – see below. Now i know why I NEVER wear purple leggings. my butt is HUGE).
June – daughter takes 5 A levels. Major stress all round.
July – invited to Headline 20th anniversary party in a sweltering HOT London. Take three days to get ready at my age. FYI, I choose teal/bronze Monsoon dress, Jones Bootmaker pointy bronze slingbacks and Betty Jackson beaded clutch, the latter purchased by my daughter from Bullring. My agent (in slinky red cocktail frock) meets my C19 friends before the party which is lovely but surreal. At party am completely awestruck until wine kicks in then can’t shut up. I am introduced to Catherine Alliott, Lorelei Mathias, Martin Neild, Jane Morpeth, tons of agents, editors and booksellers. Everyone is shiny and glam and sparkling (or maybe that’s the wine). I fall out of party to be scooped up by Dulwichgirl in Piccadilly Circus. Party guests shove in me back of her Jag, thinking she is a cab. How she laughed… Dulwichgirl makes tea at 1am as I try to come off the high.
August – Daughter is v poorly with virus/severe migraine and has to go to casualty. Sick with worry. Then tension mounts as we wait outside school for her results. I am quietly confident in her, as she has worked incredibly hard for years for this.
Then
Hurrah! Daughter gets 5 grade ‘A’s, two AEAs and achieves her dream of going to Oxford.
September – see my book for the first time. I am in the bath when Bookpoint courier arrives and I shriek through window, naked and dripping wet. “Waaaittt!” Then I make a fool of myself by bursting into tears when he hands me the box. ( I have clothes on by time I open door to him).
October – launch book with talk at Lichfield library and wine tasting in cellars. Def one of the best days of my life surrounded by family, colleagues, old friends and new C19ers who supported me all the way. Signing over 100 books is a weird experience. Teachers from school, people from running club and many more turn up and I am totally gobsmacked.
Then… daughter goes off to uni. V proud but also major sniffling. House is empty without her and I am here alone a LOT, editing a new book. Somehow, my confidence has hit a post-launch low. As the nights draw in, I am a pain to live with and quite depressed for a variety of reasons, personal and professional. Also have what I think is writer’s block. I wonder if everything has been a fluke. I have had chronic tendonits for six months so can’t exercise or run or even shop by order of physio – my major sources of mood enhancement are denied me and I put on over half a stone by sitting on bum and eating biscuits.
November – bright spots – seeing Decent Exposure on shelves and attending Rosy’s launch party in Cambridge. But generally still making a nuisance of myself to poor OH. Try to visit gym more as tendonitis improves. (Dress code: old trousers with top button undone/old fleece/odd socks and a scowl)
December – daughter home, progress being made in other areas and it’s Christmas. Yay! Reassess my year and try to start 2007 without putting ludicrous pressure on myself. Also plan lots of events, visiting friends in Jan/Feb to get out of house/get a life/ avoid SAD and not get down on myself all the time. Have a variety of book ideas which I am playing with and planning some research. I hope to hear some news in a few weeks but until then, vow to think positive for a change.
New Year’s Eve – Tonight off to a New Year Ball with my OH. (Black velvet Per Una dress and jade sparkly Jigsaw shrug) Let me say that my OH rocks. He’s supported his wife and daughter through a tremendously exciting and stressful year. I love him and my daughter very much and in the end, nothing else matters.
Hope you all have a peaceful, exciting and fulfilling 2007.
Posted by Phillipa @ 6:51 am | Leave a Comment
Charlotte Says:
What a cool review of the year! Here’s to next year being just as exciting and sucessful, but a little less stressful!
Jessica Raymond Says:
Aw, what a lovely post, Pip! Love the photo of your DE mug. What’s this about breakfast with Richard Gere???
Jess x
Monica Says:
What a year it’s been for you! Loved the mug!!! It reminded me that I still haven’t been able to track a copy of DE down. I’d put it on my list of New Year resolutions if I did such things. I don’t, but I promise I will get hold of a copy soon! Happy New Year!
Jude Says:
Pip – what an amazing year you’ve had! And what a lovely read that was. Hey I’ve a hunch 2007 will be just as good if not better. jx
Phillipa Says:
Lovely to hear from you all. Monica – you should be able to get DE from Borders and soon, from Asda. Or if not, Waterstones.co.uk, Amazon and Play.com. Happy New Year everyone. The ball was wonderful but I feel a trifle delicate this morning after getting at 2am, bopping and drinking champagne.
Michelle Says:
What an amazing year it’s been…for both of us! I’m tickled to death about our sales. And congrats to your daughter! Oxford is such an amazing accomplishment.
Best of luck in 2007!
Rosy Thornton Says:
Hopping on board very late here, to join in the congrats to Phillipa – and Charlotte – on an AMAZING YEAR! Am I allowed to mention here that they are the first mother-and-daughter ever to attend their (formerly men-only) Oxford college? That and sexy romantic fiction – what a brilliant combination of achievements!
Duckface Says:
Hello
sorry very behind with your lovely site. That was a really nice review of the Year
DF x